All Episodes

September 28, 2022 38 mins

Michael Jaconi is the CEO of Button, with a long career including executive roles at Rakuten and a stint as a presidential campaign aide to John McCain. Authentic, meaningful relationships have been a throughline across his expansive career—and he offers a load of helpful tips on how to build them. Check out this episode for nuggets including the best jobs to get out of college, the three strongest paths to connecting with a VC, and how to avoid a major networking mistake the first time you meet someone.

---

"I think that a lot of times people just let life go by with their usage of time, and the most finite thing we've got is time. So how you can spend it and who you value is really important." -Michael Jaconi

---

Episode Timestamps:

*(01:37) - Sharing your passions and vulnerability

*(04:11) - How Micheal’s fishing passion lead Don Garber to join the board of the Billion Oyster Project

*(06:16) - Securing a connection with Mickey (Hiroshi Mikitani), Founder & CEO of Rakuten

*(11:03) - Why grit is paramount, and the best transferable skill

*(16:20) - How Mark Lore provided a valuable introduction for Michael

*(18:18) - Why working for presidential campaign or startup gives you opportunity to ascend ranks 

*(26:25) - Finding a more intimate way of staying connected 

*(35:41) - Why its important to listen, be curious, and understand the passions of people

---

Sponsor:

Who Got Me Here is brought to you by Connect The Dots, mapping professional relationships so you can find the strongest connections to the people and companies you want to reach. Visit ctd.ai to learn more.

---

Links

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

24/7 News: The Latest
Crime Junkie

Crime Junkie

Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.

The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.